Eating Out
Eating Out and on the Run
Eating a healthy, low-fat diet is a critical part of managing diabetes. And
maybe you do a great job of it when you're home. But what happens when you
go out to eat? With all the high-fat foods offered in restaurants, eating
out can be quite a challenge. And what happens when you're eating
on the run and need a quick meal? It's so easy to grab food that isn't
good for you, like a bag of chips. But there are lots of ways to make good
choices in these situations, and many things you can do to stay on track with
your low-fat diet. That's what this section is all about.
Your Diet
People with diabetes are encouraged to eat a diet that's low in fat, low in saturated fat, low in cholesterol, and low in animal protein (meat). You're supposed to eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and grains. That means being careful about cheese, sweets, snack foods, and a whole host of other items. It's hard work! Everyone on a diet "cheats" now and then, and that's OK. The key is to get back up, dust yourself off, and start over. If you learn how to balance the high-fat item with lower-fat choices, you can treat yourself now and then. Splurging or eating something you shouldn't doesn't mean you've failed. Don't let it get you down. Just get back on your healthy diet as soon as possible and go from there.
General Restaurant Suggestions (Or, How To Successfully Wind Your Way Through The Maze Of High-Fat, Bad-For-You Foods On Practically Every Restaurant Menu)
So you're going out to eat. Maybe it's a dinner date at a nice restaurant. Maybe you're swinging through a fast-food drive-through window on your lunch hour. There are millions of opportunities to eat out, and thus there are millions of chances to sabotage your healthy diet. But guess what? You can go to a restaurant and eat a healthy meal. Here are a few pointers and suggestions.
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If you're really hungry and you're getting ready to go out to eat, Have A Snack First. Eat an apple or something else that's healthy to take the edge off your hunger. That way you'll be less likely to order something you shouldn't.
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Don't Listen To Your Friends. Sometimes peer pressure can cause you to order something you might regret later. “Oh, come on - just order the Fettuccine Alfredo. It sounds delicious,” a well-meaning friend might say. One way to avoid this scenario is to let your dining companion(s) know beforehand that you will be ordering a healthy meal.
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Don't Even Look At The Menu! Most restaurants are willing to make food to order. If you know in advance a meal you can request, such as salad, a brothy soup, and baked fish, simply order it.
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Ask Your Server To Alter A Menu Item. Request the pasta without the grated cheese on top. Tell them no butter on the fish. Bring the salad dressing on the side. Etc.
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Ask Questions. Find out what's in that sauce. Ask how the meat is prepared. If something sounds good but you don't know exactly what it is or what's in it, ask.
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If you're tempted by the complimentary bread and butter or tortilla chips and salsa, Ask Your Server To Take It Away From Your Table. If it's not there, you won't eat it.
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Order Smaller Portions. Try ordering appetizers or items from the kids' menu. Avoid menu items with descriptive words like jumbo, Grande, or supreme. These indicate large portions.
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Good Bets are baked, broiled, grilled, roasted, poached, or steamed foods. Avoid high-fat foods such as those that are fried, creamed, tempura, or sautéed.
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Soup is frequently a good choice, as long as it isn't cream-based. Cream of Broccoli soup may sound healthy, but it is actually full of fat. (By the way, the same is true, unfortunately, of carrot cake...sounds healthy, but it's one of the most fat-filled cakes around.)
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If You're Splurging, Try To Do So In Moderation. You don't have to eat every bite of that cheesecake. Maybe you could split a dessert with one or two of your dining companions.
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Before splurging, Make Sure You Really Want It. Are the calories worth it? If so, go ahead-just make sure the rest of your meal is healthy.
Suggestions By Restaurant Type
Every type of restaurant provides you with some choices that are better than others. You can almost always find a low-fat option. With a little information, you can eat out healthily.
Mexican food: Good Mexican foods are salsa, soft tortillas, black beans, and shredded spicy chicken, beef or ground beef. High-fat foods are tortilla chips, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and refried beans. In general, fajitas, enchiladas and burritos are better choices than chimichangas and tacos (these two have fried shells).
Italian food: Good Italian items are tomatoes, pasta (if not stuffed with cheese), grilled chicken, fish or seafood. Tomato-based sauces are good, as are white or red clam sauces. High-fat foods are fried eggplant or zucchini, pancetta, sausage, cheese, and Italian cold cuts. Steer clear of sauces such as Alfredo and carbonara. Also avoid cheese-stuffed pastas like manicotti, cannelloni and ravioli. And stay away from anything “parmigiana”!
Chinese food: Good Chinese food includes bean curd (tofu), vegetables, fish, shrimp and scallops, chicken, and roast pork. Duck sauce is OK, as is Chinese mustard. Soy sauce and plum sauce are not fattening, but they are very high in sodium. Avoid fried appetizers like won tons. Instead try hot-and-sour soup or teriyaki chicken. Rice is fine, as long as it's not fried rice. And watch your portions. A Chinese entrée is often big enough for two or three meals. Take the leftovers home and have a good lunch tomorrow.
Pizza: Good pizza toppings are vegetables, grilled or spicy chicken, shrimp, tomatoes, and part-skim cheese. The thinner the crust, the better. Bad toppings are all forms of extra cheese, pepperoni, sausage, anchovies, bacon, meatballs, and prosciutto. Try to stick to two pieces of pizza. Portion control is important. Leftover pizza is a good thing!
Fast food: If you must have a burger, pay attention to the size. Order a regular or single. Then steer clear of cheese, bacon, ham, and special sauces. But feel free to load up on lettuce, tomatoes and ketchup. The same is true for roast beef and other sandwiches. Try to resist french fries, but if you can't, order the smallest size. Baked potatoes are good for you, if you avoid high-fat toppings like cheese sauce and sour cream. Try chili, broccoli, salsa or nonfat yogurt. Grilled chicken is another good choice. But fried chicken is not, and chicken wings are not. Many fast food restaurants offer salads. Garden salads and grilled chicken salads are your best choices. Chef salads are high in fat, and taco salads are higher in fat due to the fried shell or chips. Most important, try to stick with fat-free, low-fat or reduced-fat dressings. Most fast-food restaurants offer them.
Drinks: Avoid sugar-filled soft drinks. Better choices are no-calorie diet drinks, unsweetened iced tea, coffee, or hot tea. Best choice of all: water! Alcoholic drinks are high in calories with no nutritional value. Try light beer or a wine spritzer, and then limit your intake. A good strategy is to always have a non-alcoholic drink to quench your thirst so you can nurse your beer and make it last.Breakfast: Good items to order are bagels, English muffins, toast, fruit cup or fruit bowl, oatmeal, and cold cereal. Pancakes and waffles are fine if you avoid the butter and use syrup sparingly. Eggs and omelets are of course high in cholesterol. Try ordering an omelet made from egg whites or egg substitute, and then stuff it with veggies. Avoid high-fat items like donuts, biscuits, croissants, ham, bacon, sausage, home fries and hash browns.
Eating On The Run
Eating on the run can be a healthy, problem-free situation
if you plan ahead. Make sure you always have fruit on hand, plus easy-to-grab
healthy items like pretzels. Keep ready-to-eat baby carrots in your refrigerator.
Try making a bunch of air-popped popcorn and keeping it in your car. Many
granola bars and cereal bars are good choices, as are Power Bars and other
sport bars. You can keep these types of items in your purse, your desk drawer,
or anywhere else you might need a “quick fix”. Try making a turkey
wrap sandwich the night before-roll up turkey, lettuce, tomato and mustard
in a soft tortilla. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and you have a healthy lunch
to go. If you take the time to make a batch of muesli, it will be ready and
waiting for you when you have to race out the door. Many cookbooks and cooking
magazines provide great ideas and quick recipes for items you can take with
you. Think ahead, plan ahead, and try not to give in to tempting, high-fat
choices.